The Professional Disc Golf Association and Smugglers’ Notch Resort are proud to announce that L.L.Bean has become the presenting sponsor of the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships. The 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships presented by L.L.Bean, will take place August 30 - September 3, 2023, at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville, Vermont.

“While there’s much to love about Disc Golf, ask any player and you’ll likely hear that spending time outside with friends and family (or someone you just met at the first tee) is core to their love of the sport,” said Chuck Gannon, Director of Brand and Performance Media at L.L.Bean.  “Our mission at L.L.Bean is to inspire and enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside, so the pairing of these brands is a natural fit.  We’re excited to help grow the sport and engage with the amazing community of players and fans that share our passion for the outdoors.”

Thanks in large part to L.L.Bean’s support, this year’s purse will be the highest ever for a Professional World Championship event. A total purse of no less than $275,000 will be awarded to a 300-competitor field comprised of players from 12 countries. 

“This is a big moment for the sport,” said Jeff Spring, Tournament Director of the PDGA Professional World Championships and founder of the Smugglers’ Notch Disc Golf Center. “L.L.Bean is a legendary outdoors company and a fantastic fit as a partner and supporter of disc golf. I’m proud of the work we’ve done at Smugglers’ Notch and in the professional disc golf community to reach this moment. The support that L.LBean’s partnership provides will help this year’s World Championships reach new heights.”

“Embracing the mantra 'Be an Outsider,' L.L.Bean aims to foster resilience and deepen relationships through awe-inspiring outdoor experiences," said Assistant Tournament Director Sean Jack. “The disc golf community's shared love for the great outdoors makes this collaboration an exceptional match.  We are thrilled to work with L.L.Bean to host the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships.”

Spring and Jack have spent several years establishing and fostering a meaningful relationship with L.L.Bean through their leadership roles at the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT). The experience from their roles with the DGPT, including the success of previous L.L.Bean activations with the DGPT, continues to provide outstanding results for the preparation and success of this year’s PDGA Pro World Championships.

“We are thrilled to see that L.L. Bean is supporting the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships in Vermont as the presenting sponsor!” said PDGA Executive Director Joe Chargalauf. “It is exciting to see a company with over 100 years of experience in the outdoor recreation industry seeing potential in the much younger sport of disc golf. The belief in disc golf from sponsors outside our immediate industry is further evidence that our sport continues on an upward trajectory."

As a part of their support, L.L.Bean’s iconic Bootmobile will be onsite for the event to join in the fun. Spectator tickets and weekend passes are still available for purchase. Come enjoy the Tournament, Fall Fest at Smugglers’ Notch, and witness the crowning of the next World Champions! The tournament will be streamed LIVE on the Disc Golf Network, with next-day lead card post-produced coverage available on the JomezPro YouTube channel.

About L.L Bean

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In 2022, L.L.Bean donated $5.5 million to outdoor and community-enriching organizations focused on increasing access to and inclusivity in the outdoors. L.L.Bean operates 56 stores in 19 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan and 12 stores in Canada, in partnership with Jaytex Group. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at  www.llbean.com,  Facebook,  Twitter,  YouTube,  Pinterest, and  Instagram.

About Smugglers’ Notch Resort

Smugglers’ Notch Resort is a renowned, year-round mountain resort nestled in the heart of the Green Mountains in Jeffersonville, Vermont. Established in 1967, the resort has evolved from a local ski area into a world-class destination offering a plethora of seasonal activities for families and outdoor enthusiasts. Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. In the warmer months, visitors can partake in hiking, mountain biking, zip-lining, and disc golf. The Smugglers’ Notch Disc Golf Center is home to the Brewster Ridge and Fox Run Meadows courses which are respectively ranked as the #4 and #7 courses in the world. The PDGA Professional World Championships is returning to Smugglers’ Notch after last hosting the Major in 2018.

About the Professional Disc Golf Association

The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a membership-based organization boasting more than 260,000 lifetime members across 90 countries. The PDGA is also the governing body for the sport and sanctions competitive events for players of every skill level. There are more than 9,800 disc golf courses worldwide, with more being installed every day.

About the Disc Golf Pro Tour

The Disc Golf Pro Tour is the Official Pro Tour of the PDGA. The DGPT creates disc golf’s grandest stages at premier venues for the world’s best disc golfers in order to transmit the story of professional disc golf as an engaging, high-quality experience that inspires and grows fans of the sport on-site and online. The Disc Golf Pro Tour also owns and operates the Disc Golf Network, the home of live disc golf coverage and a collaborative space for disc golf storytelling across the industry. While the PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships is not a DGPT event, the DGPT is helping to organize this year’s event alongside Smugglers’ Notch, with Jeff Spring, the DGPT’s CEO and Tour Director, serving as the Tournament Director.